Ethiopia, with a population of 129.7 million, is Africa’s second most populous nation. Despite economic gains from 2000–2015, the country is off-track in meeting several Sustainable Development Goal targets, including poverty, hunger, health, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) goals. The 2024 Global Hunger Index ranked Ethiopia 102 out of 127 countries, with 22.2 million undernourished. Humanitarian needs remain vast, with 28.5 million people requiring assistance and 4.4 million internally displaced by conflict and climate events. Acute malnutrition is severe, with only 32 per cent of estimated cases treated. Ethiopia’s humanitarian crisis is driven by conflict, climate shocks, economic challenges, and recurrent public health emergencies.

Action Against Hunger operates in six regions in Ethiopia, reaching over 3.5 million individuals with programmes in Health and Nutrition, WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods, and protection. Key 2024 achievements include screening 539,859 people for malnutrition, treating 31,947 children with severe acute malnutrition, and distributing USD 4.1 million (EUR 3.53 million) in cash aid to 74,650 people. WASH efforts included: rehabilitating 112 WASH facilities in health institutions; and reaching 607,655 people through the WASH sector, of which 72,666 emergency-affected community members were provided with basic water supply. Through Mental Health and Care Practices, 163,192 at-risk people were reached by different interventions.

New initiatives launched include a USD 11 million (EUR 9.48 million) HDP Nexus project enhancing food security and climate resilience of more than 100,000 pastoral and agro-pastoral households across five regions, as well as the national rollout of Nutrition-Centric Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) Triple Nexus guidelines. Our research team is also trialling a breakthrough plant-based Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in Ethiopia collaboration with international partners.